Caterpillar Inc.

Bradley Bailey

Matthew L Hendrickson

Eric J Ruth

Frederick Beach

Suresh Baddam Reddy

William James Tate

Alexander Cameron Crosman, Iii

Walter Earle Earleson

Zachary R Carter

Christopher A Willey

Igor Strashny

Michael D Staub

Eric M Andris

Dustin Craig Selvey

Harold Duane Dabbs

Gerald Murray Brown

Bryan Everett Copeland

Jian Wang

Bo Xie

Nischol N Antao

Lucas J Peterson

Brian Huber

Jeffrey E Brand

Jeffrey A Brand

Joanne Borchert

An electrical architecture that allows power to be transferred to a battery powered machine while the machine is moving and that allows the machine to be charged while stationary.

Electrical architecture for battery powered machine

A system for monitoring electrical contacts for an overhead trolley line may include a wear sensor arranged such that an electrical contact on a vehicle or work machine for contacting the overhead trolley line is continually or periodically in its line of sight. The wear sensor may be configured to capture spatial data defining the surface profile of the electrical contact. The system may also include a data processing module configured to receive the spatial data and identify a defect in the electrical contact based on the spatial data.

Electrical contact wear monitoring system

A monitor and control system for a hydraulic fracturing pump is described herein to reduce or eliminate harmful oscillations in fluid discharge pressure caused by the pump load dynamics. The monitor and control system receives various sensor data from the operation of the pump, including the pump crank position, and executes a pump control equation or model based on the pump sensor data, pump load data and/or pump speed data. Pump control equations or models are specific to the design and dynamic operation of the pump, incorporating the number of plungers, pump dynamics, motor lag and motor dynamics, etc. Using the pump control equations or models, the monitor and control system determines control commands for the pump motor to reduce or eliminate the oscillatory discharge pressure at the pump.

Hydraulic fracturing pump control system

A retarding system for an electric drive machine is provided. The retarding system includes an electrical retarding system and a hydraulic braking system. A single pedal controls both the electrical retarding system and the hydraulic braking system. The pedal includes a first range of travel that provides input to the electrical retarding system and a second range of travel that additionally controls the hydraulic braking system. The pedal further includes different levels of travel resistance in each of the two ranges of travel that correspond to providing inputs to the electrical retarding system and the hydraulic braking system.

Retarding system for an electric drive machine

A method of derating a retarding grid assembly of a machine is provided. The method may determine the temperatures of resistive elements and insulators associated with the retarding grid assembly, generate a trigger if any one of the temperatures of the resistive elements and insulators exceeds a respective temperature threshold, and determine a magnitude of deration to be applied to a drivetrain associated with the machine in response to the trigger. The magnitude of deration may be based at least partially on feedback and feedforward analyzes of the temperatures of the resistive elements and insulators. The magnitude of deration may correspond to a reduction in retarding capacity of the drivetrain.

Electrical retarding deration

A resistor unit adapted to be used in a resistor grid assembly. The resistor unit includes a supporting element and a resistor element. The supporting element has an aperture formed therein. The resistor element has a body portion and a tip portion at an end, which is adapted to be received in the aperture to mount the resistor element to the supporting element. Further, a tab extends from the end of the resistor element forming a part of the resistor element. The tab is configured to provide a heat shield between the supporting element and the resistor element.

Resistor grid assembly

A brake monitoring system for a machine has at least one traction motor coupled to drive wheels of the machine. An operator input device receives a requested retarding torque from an operator of the machine and sends a signal to a controller that is configured to compare the required retarding torque to a maximum retarding torque available at a particular speed of the traction motor. The controller selectively generates a warning signal based on a comparison of the required retarding torque to a maximum retarding torque available.

Brake monitoring system

An electric drive system includes a fuel-driven prime mover for driving an electrical power alternator controlled at least in part by an excitation voltage is disclosed. The electrical power alternator makes electrical power available on a DC link having a voltage characteristic and a current characteristic. A method for managing the response of the alternator includes determining a voltage of the DC link and a torque command by an operator. The torque command is used to derive a mechanical power that is being commanded. A desired voltage of the DC link is determined based on the derived mechanical power, and an excitation voltage command signal is provided based on the desired voltage of the DC link by use of a closed loop controller. An actual excitation voltage is applied to the electrical power alternator based on the excitation voltage command signal.

Electric drive power response management system and method

A trolley capable mining truck includes a pantograph supported on a machine frame for electrically connecting the truck with an overhead trolley line. A power system includes an onboard electrical power source providing electrical power to electric drive propulsion motors along a first electrical path in a first configuration of the power system. The pantograph provides electrical power from the overhead trolley line to the electric drive propulsion motors along a second electrical path, which includes a transient damping reactor, in a second configuration of the power system. The power system also includes a third configuration in which, during a braking mode of the trolley capable mining truck, the electric drive propulsion motors provide regenerative electrical power to the overhead trolley line through the pantograph along a third electrical path including a regenerative power converter, wherein the regenerative power converter includes the transient damping reactor.

Control strategy for providing regenerative electrical power to trolley line in trolley capable mining truck

An electric drive system includes a fuel-driven engine () driving an electrical power generator () that provides power to one or more electric drive motors (). A method of load management in the electric drive system includes receiving an actual fuel signal, an engine speed () signal, a throttle position signal, a motor speed () signal, an intake air pressure, a barometric pressure signal, and an intake air temperature signal. These values are used to determine a torque limit. The torque limit is used to limit a torque command to the electric drive motors () such that the torque command is consistent with the operating capabilities of the engine ().

Engine load management for traction vehicles

A controller () in an electric drive system is used to determine the operating condition of array of rotating diodes (B) within a generator (). During operation, the controller () receives a set of generator inputs, a set of machine parameters, and a set of diagnostic values. Next, the controller () determines a set of expected operating values corresponding to the set of diagnostic values. The controller () then compares the obtained diagnostic values to one or more corresponding expected operating values. If the difference is greater than a threshold, the controller () provides a fault indication that one or more of the array of rotating diodes (B) has malfunctioned.

Method and apparatus for determining the operating condition of generator rotating diodes

An electric drive system includes a prime mover connected to a generator, which is controlled in part by an excitation current. The generator makes electrical power available on a dc link. A method of load demand and power generation balancing within the electric drive system includes determining a voltage of the dc link and determining a torque command by an operator of the system. A speed for each of one or more drive motors receiving power from the dc link is determined and normalized to derive an average motor speed. A mechanical power being commanded is derived based on the average motor speed and the torque command. A predicted excitation current that is required to achieve the derived mechanical power is determined and an actual excitation current is determined based on the predicted excitation current. The actual excitation current is then applied to the generator.

Load demand and power generation balancing in direct series electric drive system

A system for detecting a short circuit in a direct current (DC) link (), wherein the DC link () is coupled with a rectifier () which includes a set of rectifier diode pairs (). During operation, a controller () receives a set of outputs of a power generator, a set of machine parameters, and a set of diagnostic values. Next, the controller () determines a set of expected operating values corresponding to the set of diagnostic values. The controller () then compares diagnostic values to corresponding expected operating values. If the difference between the diagnostic values and the expected operating values exceeds a threshold, the controller () provides a flag to indicate that a short circuit condition exists.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Bradley Bailey